MSU's Steve Dudley is in his third season as head coach for the No. 13 Bulldogs.

Photo Courtesy of hailstate.com

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Clocking top relay times in Austin, Texas paid off for the Mississippi State men’s track and field team as it currently holds the No. 13 spot in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Computer Team Rankings released on Tuesday.

“It’s great to be ranked 13th in the nation,” MSU CoachSteve Dudley said. “Our guys have worked very hard to be here and deserve this recognition. Ultimately, we only hope to improve, and we are more concerned with our final ranking.”

The Bulldogs' early-season success can be seen by an impressive 21 Top 10 finishes through just two meets, 12 of which are Top 5 performances. MSU’s 4-400-meter relay team remains an unrivaled foursome, winning both the Conference Challenge and Texas Relays with times of 3:08.68 and 3:05.35, respectively. The quartet is comprised of Tavaris Tate, Brandon McBride, Daundre Barnaby and anchor Randy Patterson.

Most recently, Dudley’s 1600-meter sprint medley team won in Austin, as Tate, Scottie Hearns, Barnaby and Patterson clocked a 3:18.09. Displaying some of the toughest competition in the country, the Texas Relays provided MSU a chance to shine on a national stage.

Additionally, the Bulldogs compliment their racing talents with outstanding field performances. Marcus Jacksoncleared 7-05.25 in the high jump last weekend, only second to 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Derek Drouin of Indiana. Freshman Piotr Antosik has quickly shown his impact on the team’s accomplishments, reaching third on the school’s all-time javelin list (214-06).

The Southeastern Conference currently has seven teams in the USTFCCCA Top 25, as Texas A&M, Arkansas and Florida hold the No. 1, 2 and 3 spots, respectively.

MSU hits the road again this weekend, traveling to Tuscaloosa for the Alabama Invite on April 6.